Vancouver Rise FC ready to make Canadian women's soccer history at BC Place

Vancouver’s new professional soccer team kicks off its season next week.

Vancouver Rise FC will make Canadian women’s soccer history when it hosts the first-ever Northern Super League (NSL) match at BC Place on April 16, against Calgary Wild FC.

The new Vancouver franchise includes a pair of Canadian soccer legends, as Christine Sinclair is a part owner, while Stephanie Labbé is Rise FC’s sporting director.

The NSL is the first professional women’s soccer league in Canada. There are six clubs in total, with the others being located in Halifax, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. The regular season schedule runs until mid-October before a playoffs take place.

Rise FC has plenty of festivities planned for the milestone match. Fans can show up early to watch the players arrive, get their faces painted, and secure a free scarf, which is being given to the first 12,000 people to show up. The pre-game fun starts at 5 p.m., and kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the game are available now via Ticketmaster.

Quinn showing off the new Vancouver Rise FC kit (Northern Super League)

While that season opener will be played at BC Place, future matches will be held at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, Rise FC’s designated home pitch.

The league has managed to secure major sponsorships and television deals from companies such as TSN and ESPN. They’ve also attracted top talent from around the world to fill the different rosters.

Rise FC’s biggest star is Quinn, the veteran Canadian National Team member who has previously played professionally in Europe. Quinn helped Canada win a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and bronze at the Rio 2016 Games.